The present invention is related to the field of orthodontics and correcting malaligned teeth and arches. “Braces”, brackets, bands, tubes, arch wires, and ligatures traditionally have affected these corrections. Implementing the fixed system is uncomfortable for the patient, time consuming for the practice, and unpredictable entailing a high level of “doctor time” to reach the desired result, usually with monthly adjustments over two or more years.
Bonding appliances to the teeth sometimes creates irritation to the soft tissue. Placing appliances is tedious and may affect patient cooperation in the future. Such appliances are also prone to failure during treatment and can extend the time in braces.
Traditional treatment involves a series of visits where wires are changed and adjusted and again take valuable doctor time and immediately after generally cause great discomfort as the wire is tightened.
Orthodontic prescriptions and technology advances have led to about 85% (percent) of the patients being treated using “straight-wire-Type” brackets, mainly in the Roth prescription. There is also a higher torqued system used for extraction cases and a lower torqued for non-extraction cases, with the vast majority of patients worldwide being treated using a few prescriptions. While high technology wires and self-ligating brackets are easing some of the above problems, it still doesn't address others.
In recent years, the amount of adults seeking treatment has grown to the point that it is impacting the profession. While there are near clear ceramic braces for the anteriors, they have their unique treatment challenges and still need the traditional time consuming mechanics. Further, adults generally prefer to have removable appliances for important meetings, occasions, and eating.
In recent years, Align Technologies introduced InvisAlign that has evolved into using high technology systems to create a series of polymeric shells that are activated based on simulation and historic results. Currently, doctors are sent a treatment simulation and must review it and contact the company, sometimes over a period of months, in order for the simulation to be acceptable. The system is time consuming and delays patient treatment. There is again a delay as Align creates a full treatment series trays based on the simulation and ships them for the doctor to check the first model and then set intervals where the progress is monitored. It is not unusual that midcourse corrections are needed again delaying treatment results. The doctor cost for such treatment trays is about 10 times traditional braces and yet their fee cannot be adjusted appropriately. Further, relapse can occur during these delays and the doctor has little control over the treatment progression. Align is also limited as to the types of cases it can treat and disappoints many potential patients.
It is therefore desirable for a simpler, less expensive, more predictable aesthetic removable system for late teen and adult patients.
Tooth positioners and doctor created retainers that are removable and clear have been available for 50 years. InvisAlign has been well marketed for five years to mixed results. Custom designed fixed appliances were discussed in several Sybron/Ormco patents using traditional wires and appliances designed for a specific patient.